game shows

Two members of the 'Jackass' crew took to the stage on 'Minute to Win It' (Wed., 8PM ET on NBC) and proved themselves to be real class acts, trying to raise money for two worthy charities. If you're going to go on television to raise money for charity, why not have fun doing it? And it was clear that Ryan Dunn and Steve-O were having a blast with Guy Fieri and these wacky games.

No one could argue that the games on 'Minute to Win It' are so outrageously simple you can't help but have a blast doing them. Balancing four hangers on the tips of their hooks on a clothesline is brilliantly stupid, and that's what makes the show so fun.

It was a charming display through and through, reminding us that these guys are more than the crass things they do in their 'Jackass' performances. These are genuinely humble and decent human beings with huge hearts.

Television is a funny thing. When you've been watching it all your life, it not only takes on a habitual role, it can also become extremely personal. Everyone has "their shows" -- the shows they watch religiously, the shows for which DVR isn't an option, the shows they try to talk their significant others into liking, the shows that force them to ream out a blogger for merely suggesting that "maybe the show is slipping," ignoring the fact that the blogger really likes the show too, and if they could just meet face to face they would see that there's no need to call him that.

Taking that into account, it can be depressing, quite frankly, when the summer months arrive and all those shows we've been manipulating our schedules around are gone. But it doesn't necessarily have to be. The summer is an opportunity to leave that televisual comfort zone that we've spent so many years cultivating and seek new shows to add to our socially acceptable obsession. Here's a shortlist of shows premiering this summer that should be a cure for the "where's my show" blues.

Losing $800,000 on a TV game show is tough enough. But, losing $800,000 then finding out you were actually right? It's "haunting," according to 'Million Dollar Money Drop' contestant Gabe Okoye.

Yes, the 'Million Dollar Money Drop' saga continues. The wronged contestant spoke to the Hollywood Reporter about his ordeal and said what they showed on TV was edited, he was a "worse than that."

"I was haunted for a long time between the taping and the actual airing. I was distraught," Okoye told the Hollywood Reporter. "I'd like to know someone who has lost money like that and just smiled about it."

'Wheel of Fortune' announcer Charlie O'Donnell, whose signature voice opened the game show for decades, died at the age of 78 in his Los Angeles home.

Agent Fred Wostbrock said Monday that O'Donnell -- who voiced the game show even before hosts Pat Sajak and Vanna White joined -- said the cause was unclear.

O'Donnell's signature phrase, "Wheeeeeeel of Fortune," could be heard on the show from its beginning with host Chuck Woolery in 1975. He worked on the show until 1980, and again from 1988 until his death.

'The Price is Right' started its 39th year this morning, and to celebrate the first episode of the season they debuted a new game called Pay The Rent. In this game, contestants have to OH MY GOD DREW CAREY HAS LOST A TON OF WEIGHT!!

A lot of fans already knew that Drew had lost several pounds off his frame, but it's a whole different thing to see it in the 'Price is Right' setting. My first reaction when Drew came out from behind the door at the start of the show was "wow, he looks...odd." That's not a dig at Drew -- he looks great -- but it's just the shock of seeing someone who's looked a certain way for 20 years appear a lot thinner. Took me a moment to get my mind wrapped around it.

Looky, looky at what fresh gem the Interwebs has unearthed this week: A young David Letterman -- with dorky shirt, a full-on Alfred E. Neuman smile and a hairdo that looks like a hair helmet -- playing celebrity contestant on Dick Clark's '$20,000 Pyramid.'

Of course, that wasn't the late night legend's only game show appearance. From a shirtless Letterman leading a CBS team's canoe race on 'Battle of the Network Stars' to Dave playing 'Password Plus' with Mr. Betty White, the talk show host has enough game show history to warrant his own GSN special. Here's the video evidence:

There's a lot of talk about what they're going to do. Fields himself said in a statement on his site that they're going to be auditioning stand-up comics. Alex at BuzzerBlog says that besides former 'Shop 'Til You Drop' host J.D. Roberto announcing an episode this week (the show has started taping new episodes for the fall this week), comics Jeff Davis and Brad Sherwood will try out too.

It's one of the better trends of modern television: networks stepping in to rescue canceled shows. DirecTV, for instance, recently saved the critically acclaimed FX series 'Damages' from certain doom, while Comedy Central brought cult favorite 'Futurama' back from the dustbin of history. And most famously, of course, Fox corrected its own mistake by bringing back 'Family Guy' after a massive fan outcry that lasted years. Yes, these days, quality, popular series will often get a second lease on life.

And apparently that's also the case for unpopular nonsense.

Yes, it's hard to believe, but as we mentioned yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Cartoon Network has decided to revive the decidedly unacclaimed and short-lived Fox game show 'Hole in the Wall.' That show, you may recall, features people on a giant treadmill who have to contort themselves, Tetris-style, to fit through cutouts in a series of rapidly approaching walls.

Changes, some big some small, are coming to America's oldest game show. 'The Price is Right' is suddenly in the news this week, thanks to an old scandal, a departing major player, and reports of tweaks to the show's format that could mean more frills and less game play. Longtime fans may be grumbling and asking themselves WWBBD? (What would Bob Barker do?)

The biggest change is the departure of longtime announcer Rich Fields, which Fields himself confirmed last week in a statement to fans. Fields, who has told contestants to "come on down" since 2004, wrote that his replacement will be an improv comic, someone who'll be chosen via on-air auditions.

It's not clear whether Fields was let go, quit to pursue greener pastures (he'll still be working for CBS as a weatherman), or left because of the new direction the show is taking. As Fields put it, producer Mike Richards has "explained to me that he loves having the 'house bands' and 'live performers' all the time on 'TPiR' and that he hopes to make it more of a 'variety show within a game show.' He believes that having a comedian at the announcer's position from now on will enhance this new change in direction."

America is great at a lot of things. We rule the world in football (and I mean actual football, not the kind of "football" that eighth graders can master faster than Ethiopians). We always win the World Series (except when Toronto wins and the MLB is required to erase the memory of every baseball fan for that particular year). And we produce more monster trucks, people needlessly crying on television and illegal fireworks accidents per capita than any other nation on Earth.

However, when it comes to game shows, the Japanese have us beat by a mile marker or two. They produce shows with brilliant, insane challenges that produce more hilarious trips and falls than a 'Tosh.0' marathon.

So now that the two companies who created the short-lived ABC reality series 'I Survived a Japanese Game Show' have joined forces once again, maybe they can bring us some of these Japanese challenge programs without all of the needless crocodile tears from behind the scenes.

The 37th Annual Daytime Emmys were broadcast live from the Las Vegas Hilton, with Regis Philbin hosting.

There were three big tributes for the night honoring Dick Clark, Agnes Nixon and 'As the World Turns.' Ryan Seacrest presented a special Emmy to Clark for his contributions to TV, including 'American Bandstand.' After a video flashback, he was saluted by live acts.

By the end of the night, the big winner of the night would be CBS, with 'The Bold and the Beautiful' winning the Outstanding Daytime Drama for the second year in a row.

Outstanding Informative Talk Show was won by 'The Doctors,' a first for that show, while 'Ellen DeGeneres' was the winner for Entertainment Talk Show. DeGeneres herself wasn't there, and another no-show was the surprise victor for Outstanding Talk Show Host, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

According to the LA Times, funnyman Andy Richter is finalizing a deal to host an updated version of the classic game show 'Pyramid.' CBS is expected to slot the reboot in daytime, possibly in October after 'As the World Turns' ends its run.

This is the latest attempt by CBS to resurrect the long-running series. Two pilots were previously shot -- one with Dean McCain and another with Tim Vincent -- but failed to capture the spirit of the original series.

CBS also tried in vain to entice 'Deal or No Deal's' Howie Mandel, as well as Emmy-winning actor Brad Garrett.

Game show hosts by their very job description creep me down to the bone. It's just in their nature. They have to go out of their way to make ordinary people look comfortable, even though they have never been on television.

Some housewife from Minnesota who is one number away from owning a new Ford Focus is so nervous, she could fly into an eye-bleeding seizure at any moment. Enter the host. He has to step in and calm her down before that happens.

However, there is a fine line between comforting someone and invading their personal space with the force of a German infantry. These are the hosts who put that creepy feeling you get whenever you hear the phrase, "Come on down!"

I love 'The Price is Right.' If I were to pick my 20 favorite TV shows of all-time, it would be on that list. But that doesn't mean it doesn't anger me. Actually, the contestants who play 'Price Is Right' anger me.

You'd think that anyone who attends a taping of the show would be familiar with its games, but you'd be amazed at the number of people who have never seen the one they're about to play or have seen it yet still completely screw it up. The contestants on 'Wheel of Fortune' often make me sad, but at least they seem to know how to play (even if you often wonder "why can't they guess this?" and "why are they still buying vowels?!").

What follows is a guide to winning seven popular games on 'The Price Is Right.' I didn't include games like Squeeze Play or Pick-A-Number or One Away or Switch? or a half dozen others because those games really just involve luck.